Related Experiment Videos
Validity and reliability of the Neurobehavioral Assessment Scale
D A Chernik1, M Tucker, B Gigli
1Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., Nutley, NJ 07110.
Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
|February 1, 1992
Summary
The Neurobehavioral Assessment Scale (NAS) reliably measures patient alertness during conscious sedation. It demonstrates strong validity and better distinguishes sedation levels than the Glasgow Coma Scale.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Assessment
Background:
- Conscious sedation requires accurate monitoring of patient neurological status.
- Existing scales may lack sensitivity in differentiating subtle changes in sedation levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Neurobehavioral Assessment Scale (NAS).
- To assess the NAS's ability to differentiate sedation levels during conscious sedation.
Main Methods:
- Investigator-rated Neurobehavioral Assessment Scale (NAS) evaluation.
- Study involved 60 patients undergoing conscious sedation for maxillofacial procedures.
- Correlational analysis with the Glasgow Coma Scale and Digit Symbol Substitution Test.
Main Results:
- High inter-rater reliability for the NAS.
- Strong criterion validity (correlation with Glasgow Coma Scale) and behavioral validity (correlation with Digit Symbol Substitution Test).
- NAS effectively distinguished between heavy and light sedation, outperforming the Glasgow Coma Scale in lightly sedated patients.
Conclusions:
- The Neurobehavioral Assessment Scale (NAS) is a reliable and valid tool for assessing behavioral functioning.
- NAS offers superior discrimination of sedation levels, particularly in lighter sedation states, compared to the Glasgow Coma Scale.